Franking or stamping apparatus for letters or the like.



PATENTED NOV. 15, 1904. N. A. KRAG & Gr. 'A. HANSEN. TRANKING 0R STAMPING APPARATUS FOR LETTERS 0R THE LIKE.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

APPLIOATION FILED NOV. 6, 1903.

N0 MODEL.

W520 4 /56 a .s 1

No. 774,761. 7 PATENTED NOV. '15, 1904.

N. A. KRAG & G. A. HANSEN. IRANKING 0R STAMPING APPARATUS FOR- LETTERS OR THE LIKE.

APPLIOATION FILED NOV. 6.1903.

no MODEL.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Wiraessea.

Jifyi 7 U ITED STATES Patented November 15, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

NILS AALL KRAe AND GUSTAV ADoLPH HANSEN, or CHRISTIANIA,

- NORWAY.

FRANKING OR STAMPING APPARATUS FOR LETTERS OR THE LIKE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 774,761, dated November 15, 1904. Application filed November 6, 1903. Serial No. 180,095. (No model.)

To (ZZZ whmn, it may concern:

Be it known that we, NILs AALL KRAG and GUSTAV ADOLPH HANsnN,subjects of the King of Sweden and Norway, residing at Christiania, Norway, have invented certain new and useful lmprovements in Franking or Stamping Apparatus for Letters or the Like; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, and to letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

Our invention relates to franking or stampingapparatus forletters and the like; and it consists in improvements whereby the operation and construction of such apparatus are greatly simplified, and which assure against any fraud or malpractice in the use of the apparatus.

According to our invention the stampingdie of the apparatus is given the form of a roller or cylinder or part of a cylinder, which die performs the stamping in rolling on the letter or object to be stamped. When the apparatus is out of operation, the printingsurface of the die is turned inward, and only a little part of the samefor instance, one third or one-half of the printing-surfacebeing at the same time uncovered it is impossible to perform more than a single stamping for each rotation of the printing die or cylinder. The franking or stamping apparatus is also provided with a device for registering the number of stampings, which device is operated for each stamping.

Two constructional forms of our apparatus are shown in the annexed drawings.

Figures 1 to 3 illustrate one form of the apparatus, and Figs. 4 and 5 another form. Fig. 1 is a side view of a preferred form of the apparatus. Fig. 2 is aside view, on a larger scale, partly in section, showing the operating mechanism of the die. Fig. 3 is a similar view of the stamping mechanism seen in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 2, the housing of the mechanism being omitted.

In the constructional form of our apparatus shown in the drawings, Figs. 1 to 3, the stamping device A is mounted on an arm or frame B, which at C is pivotally fixed to the baseplate E of the apparatus. On this base-plate is also arranged a guide-post D for the arm or, frame B. Underneath the stamping device A is journaled in bearings on the baseplate an impression-roller F. Normally the stamping device A rests with its die a on the said impression-roller F, and when a letter or the like is to be stamped the device A is lifted a little in order that there may be a space between the two rollers a and F, allowing the insertion of the letter. The construction of the stamping device A is shown in Figs. 2 and 3. The stamping die or cylinder a and its inking device or inking-roller t are journaled in a frame 0 c, fastened to a top plate (Z. On the shaft of the stamping-die is fixed a pinion c, meshing with a tooth-wheel f, the shaft of which is provided with a ratchet-wheel g. A post .2 is mounted on the top plate (Z, and on this post is put a movable slide y, forming the handle of the stamping device and which is normally held lifted by means of a spring 00, arranged between the post 2 and the slide The said slide or handle is provided with an arm is, extending downward through the top plate (Z and bearing a pawl it, which being, by means of a spring 7;, pressed against the teeth of the ratchet-wheel ooacts with the said ratchet-wheel. is a stop-pawl with spring on to prevent backward movement of the ratchet-wheel g. The tooth-wheel f, arranged on the same shaft as the said ratchetwheel g, also meshes with another pinion a, on the free end of the shaft of which pinion is mounted an arm 0, which through a rod 19 is connected to the operating-lever'a' of the counting or registering device. This counting device 6 is arranged immediately below the top plate (Z. The stamping device is mounted in a housing 8, having at its lower end a little opening a, through which apart of the stamping-die (4 projects, and, fu rther, the housing is provided with an opening o, through which the registering device may be seen.

The apparatus described above acts in the by means of a spring 22, which being fixed following manner: When by means of the on a screw 23, having its ends lying the one handle or slide y the stamping device is lifted and the object to be stamped upon has been inserted into the space thereby formed between the printing-die (a and the impressionroller F, the handle or slide 1 is forced down, whereby the pawl it, connected to the slide, takes the ratchet-wheel 9 one tooth forward, and by means of the tooth-wheels f c this movement is imparted to the printing die or roller a, which makes one complete revolution each time the ratchet-wheel is moved one tooth forward, and thereby imprints a stamp on the letter or other object inserted between the rollers a and F. At the same time the pinion 91, also meshing with the wheel f, completes one revolution, whereby the operating-lever r of the counting device is acted upon in such a manner that the counter is moved one number forward.

When the apparatus described above is to be used as post-stamp-canceling apparatus, it is preferable to provide the apparatus with devices that make it possible to press the printing-die and the impression-roller against each other by means of the foot.

Fig. 4 is a side View, partly in section, of another constructional form of the apparatus in the position before stamping. Fig. 5 is a side view of the same, showing in full lines the position of the apparatus with its several parts in the position occupied when the handle has been pressed down to its lowermost position and in dotted lines the position of the different parts of the apparatus in a middle position. In this form of our apparatus the base-plate E has been omitted and the apparatus constructed as a hand stamping apparatus. For this purpose the housing 1, inclosing the printing and counting device, is yieldingly mounted in a frame 2, forming vertical guides for the housing 1, that is pressed downward by means of a spring 3 between the upper part of the frame 2 and the housing 1, and the frame 2 being in its turn mounted in a frame 4, provided with horizontal guides5 for projections 6 on each side of the frame 2. On each side of the frame 4: is pivoted a bell-crank lever 7, one end of which is provided with a slot 8, into which projects a pin 9, fixed to the frame 2. The other ends of the bell-crank levers 7 are connected together by a rod 10. On the frame 1 is mounted a post 11 with the handle 12 in the same manner as in the apparatus illustrated in Figs. 1 to 3. The handle 12 is provided with an arm 14, which has a slot 15 in its outer end, through which slot passes the rod 10, connecting the two bell-crank levers 7. The ratchet-wheel r in this case is omitted, and the toothwheel f, provided with projecting pins 16 and a pawl 17, is pivotally fixed at 18 to a sliding bar 19, and is pressed with its tooth 20 against the pins 16 1 against a nose 24, projecting at the other side of the pivot 18 for the pawl 17, and the other against the stop-pawl 25, thus serving at the same time to press the sliding bar 19 clownward to hold the pawl 17 against the pins 16 in the Wheelf and the stop-pawl against the teeth of the tooth-wheel f. The sliding bar 19 extends downward through an opening in the housing A and projects with its end 27 so far outside the housing that by the pressing inward of this projection the printing-die a is turned a certain part-for instance, a third of a revolution-in order that the printing-face of the die a shall be inked by means of the inking device 28 29 before it arrives outside the housing. The operation of this apparatus is as follows: The apparatus is placed on the letter 30 or other object to be stamped with its frame directly above the place where the imprinting is to be made. (See Fig. 4:.) Then in pressing the handle 12 downward the sliding bar19is at first pressed inward, whereby the pawl 17, with its tooth 20, catches one of the pins 16 in the wheel)", and thereby takes this wheel a little forward, and the tooth-wheel f, meshing with the teeth of the pinions c or, moves these, and thereby the printing-die a and the arm 0, a certain part of a rotation. Hereby the foremost end of the printing-face of the roller a has been inked by the roller 28 and has arrived out side the opening in the housing 1. By the further downward movement of the handle 12, the stamping device lying with its lowermost end against the letter or the like and being thereby prevented from further downward movement, the spring 3 will yield and the frame 4 be moved downward until it is also stopped by the letter or the like. Now the spring a: in the handle 12 (see Fig. 2) yields, and the frame 2, with the-stamping device, is, by means of the arm 14 and the bellcrank levers 7, moved in the left-hand direction, and, due to the friction of the die a against the letter or the like, the die will roll along the object to be stamped and make an imprint on the same. The wheel f and the pinion n will partake in the rotation, and thereby the stamping will be registered in the counting device, and the next pin 16 in the wheel f will now lie immediately over the tooth 20 of the pawl 17. As soon as the pressure on the handle 12 ceases the handle by means of its spring a will be lifted, whereby the stamping device is again moved to the right, the spring 3 lifts the frame 41, and the spring 22 forces again the sliding bar 19 downward to the position indicated in Fig. 1.

N e claim 1. A hand-stamp comprising a printing-cylinder, a rotary element adapted to cause a complete rotation of the cylinder at each impression thereof, mechanism to imparta step- IIO by-step rotation to said rotary element, and mechanism to operate the aforesaid mechanism.

2. A hand-stamp comprising a printing-cylinder, a toothed disk adapted to impart a complete rotation of the cylinder at each impression thereof, a pawl to cause a partial rotation to the disk, and mechanism to operate said pawl.

3. A hand-stamp comprising a printing-cylinder, a pinion on said cylinder, a toothed disk in gear with the pinion, a pawl, means connected with the disk adapted to be engaged by the pawl, an operating-handle, and means connecting the handle and pawl, substantially as described.

4. A hand -stamp comprising a frame, a printing-cylinder journaled therein, a pinion on said cylinder, a toothed disk in gear with the pinion, an arm, a handle for reciprocating the latter, and a pawl carried by the arm and adapted to rotate the disk.

5. A hand-stamp comprising a frame, a printing-cylinder journaled therein, a pinion on the cylinder, a toothed disk in gear with the pinion, a shaft for the disk, a ratchet on said shaft, a pawl adapted to engage the ratchet, and mechanism for reciprocating the pawl.

6. A hand-stamp comprising a frame, a printing-cylinder journaled therein, a shaft, a toothed disk, and a ratchet fixed on said shaft, a spring-held pawl in engagement with the ratchet, means for reciprocating said pawl and a pinion on the cylinder adapted to impart a complete rotation thereto at each movement of the disk.

7 A hand-stamp comprisinga printing-cylinder, a toothed disk, a shaft for the latter, a ratchet on said shaft, a pawl in engagement with the ratchet, means for reciprocating said pawl, a registering mechanism, and pinions meshing with said disk adapted to operate the cylinder and registering mechanism.

8. A hand-stamp comprising a printingroller, mechanism to impart to said roller successive angular movements, a housing in which said parts are mounted and means to actuate the aforesaid mechanism; in combination with an impression roller cooperating with the printing-roller and means to move the housing to and from the impression-roller, for the purpose set forth.

9. A hand-stamp comprising a printingroller and mechanism to impart to said roller successive angular movements; in combinationwith a housing in which said parts are mounted, said housing having an opening in its bottom through which the printing-roller projects. a support for the housing, a base to which said support is pivoted, an impressionroller mounted on the base in position to cooperate with the printing-roller, a handle on the housing and means operated thereby to actuate the aforesaid mechanism and to move the housing and therethrough the printingroller to and from the impression-roller, for the purposes set forth.

In witness whereof we have hereunto set our hands in presence of two witnesses.

NILS AALL KRAG. GUSTAV ADOLPH HANSEN.

Witnesses:

THs. BERG, JoH. VAALER. 

